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Cumbrian brothers cleared of 'dragged from car' robbery

Russell Roberts, 29, and Jonathan Roberts, 34, had both denied robbing Jonathan Nichols, who said he was dragged from his VW Golf car in Clayton Avenue, Cleator Moor, on May 3 last year.

Russell Roberts, of Dent Place, Cleator Moor, and Jonathan Roberts, of Gillfoot Road, Egremont, admitted they were in the general area of Cleator Moor but denied any involvement in a robbery.

They were cleared by the jury yesterday afternoon.

Earlier in the week, Mr Nicholson was accused in court of falsely accusing the brothers because he was a drug dealer and owed money by one of them.

Defence barrister David Birrell accused him of making a false allegation because he was owed £600.

Mr Birrell accused Mr Nicholson of making the whole story up.

He questioned how there were no witnesses to the alleged robbery, even though it happened on a busy street on a sunny Bank Holiday. And he asked how Mr Nicholson, though unemployed for several years, managed to be driving a decent car.

“It’s because you make money selling drugs, don’t you?” he said. “You are a drug dealer. You sell cannabis and what is known as plant food.”

Mr Nicholson said that was not true, although he admitted police had spoken to him in the past about drug dealing.

Mr Birrell said Russell Roberts owed Mr Nicholson £600.

“He had owed you money for some time, hadn’t he? And that angered you,” said Mr Birrell.